all tied up…

These are the remotes that I normally keep to hand to control the latest in twenty-first century technology. TV and the usual accompaniments that I leave running in the background while I tie knots to practice skills any Bosun from the 18th century would recognize.

They are all Spanish Ring knots that serve as tactile indicators that I’m holding the remote with the active end out, the most used buttons are under my fingers and I have the right one – some also act as jury rigged battery compartment lid hold downs. Unlike many of the things I tie I have had requests for these, but only after use — it looks too weird, you know. There is one thing I tell them; their in-laws may think they are eccentric to have these knots on the remote, but they would think a ring of duct tape doing the same thing would just be too tacky.

I have a question for those more knowledgeable than I. A couple of days ago I found out by close examination that a knot I thought could be a member of the Headhunter knot family was a Gaucho knot. The structure of the Spanish Ring knot looks identical to me. Just picture one ring of a Gaucho knot of one pass separated from the knot and placed nest to a Spanish Ring knot. Are they not the same knot? If you do the same operation with a Spanish Ring knot and a Gaucho knot of equal passes are they not the same? Or is this just another case of a lone knot tier living in the country too far from those who know better?

I appreciate everything I learn about knots. As I have an investment in this one, I care even more. I can only presume the silent surfing majority would have some interest or they wouldn’t be on a knot site. If you know, please share with us.

Come back again for the next installment of “Knotting In Isolation”. Will William find the name of “that” knot? Will someone leave a comment! Will William end up in an isolation ward tying the same knot thousands of times with threads drawn from his restraints?!! The only way to know is to tune in again … time of your choice …. same URL! … same IP address pool! … same DNS routing!!